Page 153 of Heir of the Beast

“I have your DNA. Your biological father is the King of Galleon. We did not need to fake anything.” He tosses some papers on the desk with a wink. “Read it if you want.”

“You could have faked them.”

He laughs. “No reason to fake them, there would be no reason for us to lie.” He leans against the wall.

“Trust me, I do not have time to make up fake scenarios such as this. That is not what we are about, and I think you know that.”

I glance at the papers that confirm my hysteria. “How?”

“Irena should have just killed you.” He smiles. “Glad she didn’t, but looks like Fate had other plans for you. You were destined to come back.”

Mort says, “That, I was not expecting.”

That means the King is my ~real~ father.

Emotion stings my eyes. I’m not sure how to deal with this information. I have a family? Family is so foreign to me, never having had one. I feel a tear stream down my cheek. “This is a lot.”

I feel dizzy.

Pierce nods. “You’re a tough kid, you’ll get through it.” He winks at me. “This is very good news for you—someone without a family now has a real one.” Pierce smiles and walks over to me.

“And now we have to talk about your last day here. I do not have a lot of time for I must see every girl here still.

“If you win Apollo’s heart in the end, the other females have the choice to stay or go. It’s our little ~thank you~ for their participation.

“It’s a surprise in the end for them, if you will. They do not know this until I talk to them.”

I wipe another tear, feeling like I am in the twilight zone. “There is a lot resting on me then.”

“A lot—so don’t mess up.”

I blink at him.

“All contestants will meet at dawn by the South Shore. This is not negotiable, by the way. Our Fairy Godmother ship will leave after first light, which is roughly seven o’clock.

“All the contestants will be aboard, including you. The only way you may get off is by Apollo coming for you.” He continues, “If he is too late, then the magic ends. Game over.”

I swallow, feeling my nerves take flight. “How am I to convince him?”

He nods and pulls something out of a blue velvet case. “This is called the ~Darling Medallion~.” Pierce holds up the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen.

It is a diamond heart necklace, with a large cobalt crystal center. It sparkles and glimmers like tropical water in the bright sunlight.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathe.

“You are now a Fairy Godmother ~Darling~, which is a high honor. This necklace is your gift for winning the competition—if you can convince Apollo, that is.

“You shall wear it with pride. This medallion can never be broken, and it allows you to get in touch with Fairy Godmother Inc. if the need should arise.”

“You still keep in contact with all of the winners?”

“Yes, we are very fond of our Darlings. You have a lifelong relationship with us. We are family here, and we never abandon anyone.

“Did I mention we have a killer Christmas party that all Darlings are invited to? Though last year the Sexy-Santa elf set Cinderella’s dress on fire.

“No joke. Elves cannot drink whiskey—they burp fire, as it turns out.”

My eyes widen in shock.

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